AFP

DUBAI, Nov 12: Airbus overshadowed US rival Boeing at the Dubai air show Sunday, winning an order from Emirates topping 20 billion dollars -- which executives said was the biggest in the European constructor's history.

The order from the Dubai-owned carrier was for 70 midsized A350 XWB (Extra Wide Body) aircraft and 11 A380 superjumbos.

An upbeat Airbus sales chief John Leahy raised forecast sales of the A350 XWB to "more than 300" by year's end. He had expected 200 orders at the start of the year.

Boeing, whose B787 Dreamliner is the major competitor to the A350, won a comparatively modest 3.2 billion dollar order from Emirates for 12 of its B777-300s, bringing the Dubai airline's total outlay for new planes to over 23 billion dollars at the show.

Seattle-based Boeing also said in a statement it had signed an agreement with Qatar Airways for 30 787 Dreamliners and five 777 cargo planes in a deal valued at over 6.1 billion dollars at list prices.

But the lion's share of new orders announced Sunday went to Airbus, a fact welcomed by German president and CEO Tom Enders.

"Emirates airline is placing great faith in our A350 XWB and A380 programmes as well as our company and we are rightfully proud," he said.

Emirates chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said the airline had decided to order three more A380 superjumbos, and to firm up a previous option to buy a further eight.

As well as the 70 firm orders for the A350s -- which are scheduled to come into service in 2013 -- Maktoum said Emirates had taken an option to buy a further 50 of the new-generation planes down the line.

"The A350 XWB and A380 will play an important role in supporting Emirates' and Dubai's growth plans," Maktoum said.

"As the leading airline for the 21st century, it made sense for Emirates to choose the A350 XWB -- an aircraft designed with 21st century technologies," he said.

The total value of the new firm orders for the 70 A350s and 11 A380s is 20.2 billion dollars, according to the constructor.

The contract brings to 58 the number of A380s ordered by Emirates, making it the world's biggest customer for the superjumbo, which made its first commercial flight in the livery of Singapore Airlines last month.

But the most significant order was for the A350s, scheduled for delivery by 2014.

Emirates, with its massive purchasing power, had created huge anticipation ahead of the five-day show, announcing it would order around 100 new long-haul planes.

The 70 firm orders -- for 50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s -- will make Emirates the second biggest customer for the long-haul plane after Qatar Airways announced an order for 80 in June.

Airbus also announced a two-billion-dollar order from Saudi business carrier NAS for 20 Airbus A320s, as well as an option to buy a further 18 of the short-haul planes.

In comparison to the size of the Airbus contracts, Boeing's sale of 12 B777-300 to Emirates appeared modest.

"Emirates will soon be the largest operator of 777s worldwide," Scott Carson, Boeing executive vice president, told reporters.

Asked about his company's preference for the A350 over the rival Dreamliner, Maktoum said: "We looked at the two planes, their seating, their capacities."

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akber al-Baker said his airline was taking an option for 30 more 787 Dreamliners.

"With delivery from mid-2010 through to 2014, the 787 will form the core of Qatar Airways' regional and medium-haul fleet from the next decade," Baker said.

Qatar Airways said its order for the 777s totaled 27 units but Boeing said that 22 of the aircraft were ordered in 2006.

Baker said his airline did not want to disclose the orders before but refused to say why.

Rolls-Royce said Emirates placed orders for its Trent XWB engines to power up to 120 Airbus A350s in a deal potentially worth up to 8.4 billion dollars at list prices.

The carrier also selected the GP7200 engine to power its additional A380s in a deal valued at 800 million dollars at list prices signed with Engine Alliance, a 50-50 joint venture of General Electric and Pratt and Whitney.